Max Scherzer and Clay Buchholz Face Off in Series Opener

The Boston Red Sox are in town to open a three game weekend series with Detroit this evening. A pair of struggling 25-year-old righthanders will square off on the mound.

The Red Sox will give the ball to Clay Buchholz (3-3, 3.82), who will make his third career start against the Tigers and his second start in Comerica Park. Buchholz has split his last two decisions, allowing nine earned runs over 10.2 innings in those starts. On the bright side, Buchholz has won his last six road starts, including a 2-0 mark away from Fenway this season.

He last faced the Tigers on August 13, 2009, a game he lost despite allowing just one earned run through seven innings. His last start in Detroit came back on May 7, 2008. In that game, a 10-9 Tigers win, Buchholz allowed 10 hits and five runs in just four innings.

Only five current Tigers have ever faced Buchholz, none with more than six at bats against him. Collectively those six have posted a .318 career average in 22 at bats, walking three times and striking out twice. They have just one extra base hit among them, a double, by Johnny Damon.

Meanwhile, the Tigers will turn to Max Scherzer in hopes of getting the former Diamondback back on track.

After a very good start to the year, Scherzer has fallen on tough times in his last few outings. After his start on April 23, Scherzer’s ERA stood at 2.62. In three starts since then, he has managed to work only 13.1 innings while allowing 27 hits and 21 earned runs. His ERA over that span is 14.54.

Scherzer (1-3, 6.81) has never faced the Red Sox in his career and has only seen two of their players, Bill Hall and Jeremy Hermida, both while in the National League. The pair have combined to go 3-for-6 against the Tigers’ right hander, including a double.

In Saturday’s game two, a pair of southpaws will oppose each other as Boston goes with John Lester versus Detroit’s Dontrelle Willis. Sunday’s game will feature John Lackey for the Red Sox and the Tigers’ starter has yet to be named. It’s possible that lefty Brad Thomas will make that start, or it could be Alfredo Figaro.

More on that and a possible roster move after the jump.

*******************

Rumor has it that Casper Wells could be called up as early as today, likely replacing Figaro on the Tigers roster. Wells tore it up in camp during Spring training, but hasn’t hit much at all this year with the AAA Toledo Mudhens. The Tigers have been a man short on the bench since demoting Ryan Raburn ahead of Wednesday’s doubleheader with the Yankees, when Figaro was recalled.

If it is indeed Wells who is called up, as Hens teammate Robbie Weinhardt tweeted (that tweet has since been deleted), the move comes as a bit of a surprise given the Tigers already have four outfielders on the club, plus Don Kelly. We’ll have more on this if anything comes of it. Right now, it’s all rumor.